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Tom Soules, a retired physicist from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is campaigning on a platform prioritizing the development of a central downtown park, environmental protection and tourism in his bid for Livermore City Council District 4.
“As a council member I would work to make the City Council truly responsive to our citizens, governing from bottom up rather than top down, and make the government totally transparent,” he said in a statement.
Soules is running against school board Trustee Kristie Wang for the council’s District 4 seat representing the southwestern part of the city.
Soules moved to Livermore in 2002, attracted to its small-town feel. He said he enjoyed the city’s downtown businesses and its vineyard-covered hills. As years passed, he watched construction change the landscape.
Now he supports relocating Eden Housing, an affordable housing project, from its planned location near the southeast corner of Railroad Avenue and L Street. In its place, he proposes a central park from Livermore Avenue to L Street, north of First Street.
“It would serve to preserve a little bit of the small-town atmosphere, allowing folks a bit of respite,” he said on his website. “It would also be a catalyst for tourists to visit the wineries and generally make Livermore a more desirable place to live.”
As councilmember, he would support developing low-income apartments north of Railroad Avenue and/or the old Nob Hill site on South Livermore Avenue to address high housing costs.
He said he would also like to see higher penalties to developers for not building below-market housing units.
In addition to his stance on housing development, he said he would also work to maintain the city’s urban growth boundary while bringing high-tech industries to Livermore and maintaining opportunities for small businesses.
Of other interest to Soules is boosting tourism to support the local economy.
He cites decades of personal experience as a scientist and in recent years, he has been volunteering as an English tutor for adults and at places in Livermore like Hagemann Ranch.
“I believe my background makes me incredibly well suited to represent the people of District 4 and will bring a well needed perspective and down to earth presence to the Livermore City Council,” he said on his website.
To learn more about Soules and his campaign, visit tomsoules.com.
